Dear white people

Today was a day away from our mental health consumers as the Milwaukee county mental health and substance abuse contracted agencies attended a session designed to educate us about white privilege. The presenter was a very dark skinned man named Dr. Eddie Moore. The presentation is part of a year long series by the change agents program designed to help improve outcomes by making us more familiar with the concerns of living in an increasing more diverse society. Dr. Moore had grown up in a black neighborhood , became addicted to drugs and remained involved with them until his first job after completing his bachelor’s degree. He didn’t clean up his act until he was forced to do so by his employers with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Dr. Moore is in an interracial relationship and lives with his wife and children in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is an experienced presenter and he and his wife own their own businesses.I was active on social media throughout the session, first complaining about hunger, then being disappointed by the quality of the food. I was sitting at a table with the staff at our agency who work for one of our other programs so I only see them at our Monday staff meetings.

I would estimate that 30% of the attendees were people of color. This included agencies and staff of Milwaukee County. Ours is one of the few agencies owned and operated b African-Americans so it was a little tricky taking about the ways that our policies may have been influences by the concept of white supremacy. There is also the problem of introversion versus extroversion. I was sitting next to a small quiet young woman waiting to break into the conversation at our table which was dominated by the more talkative people.

The program included an action plan which started with educating ourselves about the issue . I went to the library and checked out Color Blind Racism by Leslie C. Carr, My First White Friend by Patricia Raybon and Whiteness a Critical Reader.

I also admit that as an African American worker I have a certain amount of privilege regarding the consumers I assist. However, that is a topic for another discussion.